Cops save children's Christmas after woman steals from Toys for Tots

A Hyannis woman is due in court on Thursday for allegedly stealing $500 worth of toys from the Marine's Toys for Tots program on Christmas Eve.

A Hyannis woman is due in court on Thursday for allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars worth of toys from the Marine's Toys for Tots program on Christmas Eve, potentially leaving five children without toys on Christmas.

Janice Tully, 49, was expected to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Thursday, according to Barnstable police.

Police said that Tully was asked on Tuesday, Christmas Eve, by two neighbors to give them a ride to the police station and a domestic violence assistance agency where they could pick up donated toys for their five children.

Tully gave them a ride to the agency where they loaded up her car with $500 worth of donated toys from the Toys for Tots program.

At that point, Tully "abruptly left the [agency] without the two victims and told them she would drop the toys off to them later," Barnstable police said, adding that the two neighbors were stranded and took a taxi home.

Tully returned home after several hours and was then confronted by the neighbors. She allegedly told them the toys were gone. The neighbors called police who responded and, after an investigation, found some of the toys in the trunk of Tully's car, police said. She then refused to tell officers were the rest of the toys were located, police said.

Tully was then charged with larceny and held on bail over Christmas.

Not forgetting about the five children who would now be without toys, Barnstable police worked with Toys for Tots and selected new toys from those donated at the police station. Officers then delivered the new toys to the families late on Christmas Eve.

"Without the generous donations from all the residents and visitors that dropped toys off at the Barnstable Police Department this would not have been possible," Barnstable police said.